Walk to Emmaus

Dakotas Walk to Emmaus will hold Men's Walk #55 on March 23-26, 2017, and Women’s Walk #56 on March 30 – April 2, 2017, at Inspiration Hills near Canton, SD. The program, Walk to Emmaus, is a 72-hour experience starting Thursday evening and ending on Sunday. Participants are asked to separate themselves from their daily activities for this time period. There is no “physical walking distance”, but rather a “walk” with others in fellowship, learning and fun.  Click here for details

Winter Connection 2017

The Winter Connection event will be January 27-28, 2017.  Locations will be Brookings First UMC, Bismarck McCabe UMC, and Rapid City Canyon Lake UMC.  The theme this year is “Mission in Action”.  Throughout the event the discussion will be challenges to align conviction, passion, and call with the understanding that sometimes we don’t do enough as the body of Christ.

Discussion  will also include the importance of doing mission work within our local churches.  Each site will have their own unique local mission opportunity as well as their own worship leaders and guest speaker.

Registration and more information here.

Men's Retreat

Calling all MEN!!!  Join us for a men's retreat at Storm Mountain Center on Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4.  We will begin with registration on Friday from 6 to 7 pm and conclude on Saturday at about 3:30 pm.  We will use the DVD-based study  "Uncommon" from Tony Dungy as our primary teaching material.
During the retreat, we will share in meals and fellowship, learn about living a high-impact, character-filled life for God, worship and praise God, and enjoy the beauty of one of our great camps.  If you need a little time away to recharge your life and to get started on the path to living with true significance, join us for this great retreat!!
Pastors - please display this poster at your church and encourage men to attend this retreat.  If you or someone from your church has any questions, there is contact information at the bottom of the poster.
Please RSVP to Pastor John Britt via e-mail by February 27th so SMC can plan for accommodations and food and so that we can prapare the correct supply of materials for the retreat.  Thank you!! - Pastor John Britt and Pastor Karl Kroger

Myth or Fact Workshop

This workshop is open to church treasurers and finance committee members as well as anyone interested in giving and stewardship. This workshop will be held at Mitchell First UMC on Feb. 11, 2017, from 9:00am through 1:00pm. Lunch is provided.

Please email the Foundation office or call (605) 990-7790 so we know how many to plan for lunch.

Sponsored by the Dakotas Council of Finance & Administration, Dakotas United Methodist Foundation, and Sioux Falls First United Methodist Church.

Annual Conference 2017 Update

Plans are underway for "Encounter the Spirit - LIVE Expectantly", the twenty-fourth session of the Dakotas Annual Conference, June 8-10, 2017, in Bismarck, ND. Special conference rates are available at several Bismarck hotels.

Book your hotel now, and look over the schedule for pre-conference workshops, luncheons, teaching sessions and more.

Rev. Junius B. Dotson, General Secretary of UMC Discipleship, will be our teaching speaker at Annual Conference 2017.

Click here for a printable list of all the hotel contact information, booking links, codes and walking maps.

Click here for a printable PDF file of the Annual Conference 2017 schedule.

Summer youth mission opportunity

Sioux Falls First UMC invites all youth grades 6-12 to a weeklong summer mission opportunity serving various agencies in Sioux Falls, S.D. Intentional Ministry Promoting Active Community Transformation (IMPACT) will take place June 18-23, 2017.  Registration is now open.

Contact Andrea Johnson at (605) 336-3652. 

Click here for more information from Sioux Falls First UMC.

Worship Design Workshop - March 11

A Passionate Worship Workshop will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2017 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Watertown First UMC, Watertown, S.D. All pastors, laity, youth, worship leaders, worship committee members are invited to attend.  The workshop is designed for every size church and encompasses traditional as well as modern worship experiences. The presenter will be Rev. Laura Bartlett of the Oregon-Idaho Conference (click here for her resume). Laura was the designer of worship at the 2016 General Conference.

This day-long experience is for people who are passionate about worship…and for people who long for worship to be passion-filled! The event will include participatory worship, as well as plenty of opportunities to dig into both the theology and the practicality of designing creative worship, no matter what style a congregation prefers. Attendees will learn about and practice team-based worship planning, and examine how music, visuals, movement, and words can be layered to create deeper meaning and to provide a variety of portals through which diverse congregation members can feel connected. This is a day for getting past perceived obstacles (it’s not about style or size!) and claiming the creativity and resources that are gifts from God.

Lodging is available on Friday March 10, 2017 at Lake Poinsett Camp and Retreat Center. Cost is only $20 to cover lunch and snacks.

Click here to register.